Phoenix Gallery Update

[Macron one]

the full metal panic sketches are awesome as well, the OP pan of chidori is very cool. I've not seen the seller listing any second raid sketches though, that was my favor season by far out of all three even though its only 13ep.

I thought you would enjoy the Kaname items mate. For me, the image of Kaname saluting epitomises the first FMP anime series in one douga - themes of miltary, comedy, action & romance all rolled into one. As for TSR, dougas/roughs are out definitely there, I remember seeing some come up back in 2008, but as you can imagine they are extremely sought after & very tightly held by the hardcore local collectors. Hopefully like Fumoffu, the other FMP series animated by KyoAni, artwork will slowly trickle out to the general market.

With FMP: The Second Raid being a Kyoto Animation production, chances of seeing a significant number of production sketches from the series anytime soon seem kinda slim. I'd love to acquire sketches from many of the KyoAni series myself, but as far as i'm aware, Full Metal Panic is the only franchise from which anything at all has ever surfaced, and even then only in tiny quantities.
It's frustrating to see things like the behind the scenes videos of Kanon 2006 or pictures of the huge oversized genga they've been using recently and to have no idea whatsoever where all of the production art has disappeared to. Even if it had been ordered destroyed, you'd think that at least some of it would be sneakily salvaged by staff members, as happens with most studios. Is KyoAni actually storing it somewhere? Will it simply take years and then suddenly start popping up on YJ, like the recent FMP bonanza? I'd love to know...

[Quacker]

I am really pleased to announce a massive long overdue update & share this latest mixture of Cels, Genga/Douga & Rilezu with you all over the broad range of series' I collect from.

First up are some Gengas from the Studio BONES produced Rahxephon which includes this Beautiful profile shot of the series' main heroine:
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=363481
The mysterious & enigmatic Reika:
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=363334
And finally this quietly menacing genga of Lord Babhem:
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=363483

On the Escaflowne front are a selection of new Cels & sketchs which IMHO really emphasises the artistic craftsmanship behind the esteemed series. Included in this update:

The exact matching Genga to the OP Cel of Millerna which I already owned:
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=363484

A Genga of Prince Chid surrounded by his warrior-monks:
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=363333

Cel-wise, there are two new Hitomi cels, with one being a beautiful sequence-mate to an END Credit already in my possession, as well as a movie cel depicting the Escaflowne in its dragon-mode:
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=363485
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=363476
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=363320 (movie)

There is an additional gorgeous new Nadesico cel of Ruri from the infamous 'talent quest' episode:
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=363486

Like the last update, there are a few new Rilezus from Fate/Stay Night, Full Metal Panic & FMP Fumoffu!! including:
This wish-list utterly, utterly gorgeous Kaname OP from Fumoffu (which is just a few frames shy of the Douga already in the gallery!)
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=363487

Plus three further Rilezus of Kaname from the first the first two episodes of the Original Full Metal Panic series:
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=363478
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=363336
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=363335

Lastly from Fate/Stay Night are two Rilezus of Saber - with one in her armour:
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=363488
and the other while she is in her civilian attire:
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=363331

Along with these items, another difference you may notice I have taken a new approach in my narrative - it is a more academic, research/fact-based approach - listing down the various main production & animation staff behind each cel. My aim being to eventually have sections dedicated to not only an Anime series, but to the individual artists, designers, directors as well so that you can 'see' variations & differences, even a maturity slip into their works.
Please enjoy!

[sensei]

Somewhat tardy response due to my online course business (mid-semester term papers) ... but in my defense I had Quacker's gallery open in one window all day and took breaks between papers (especially mediocre ones) by looking through the additions.

Some very impressive Escaflowne additions, especially the winsome ED cel, which is not at all hentai in spite of the lack of clothing. And the sketches from Rahxephon certainly make it worth looking at. (But a fussy academic needs to point out: new Millerna sketch: "genga" should be "douga." Genga = key animator's sketch; Douga = junior animator's clean-up from genga [or inbetweener].)

A real highlight is the rough of Lord Bahbem. If you can identify the episode, you probably can name the artist (= episode animation director). Another is the delightful Kaname OP rilezu, with those dynamic ginko leaves blowing all around. Another is the new rilezu of Jun and Shinku from Ep. 12 of Rozen Maiden.

http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=363477

That's a great image. I used to visit it often at Anime Jewell, and I'm glad to see it come to a happy home (and get a more brilliant scan).

You can add to the credits: Episode animation director: Kumi Ishii (character designer and chief animation director) Assistant animation director: Masaru Kitao [Kitao also did AD work for CCS and soon afterwards became character designer and chief animation director for Death Note.](I glommed both names off of the closing credits.)

Thanks too for adding the staff info. I'm feeling more and more that we should be thinking in terms of artists rather than characters. I know that among Inuyasha followers the relative merits of the animation directors is already something that has been noticed and to some extent defined. With other series where there was a plurality of supervising artist with distinctive style, the same thing ought to be tried. Subjectively, I can feel the shift in visual "feel" when I move from one episode to the next in such series (especially Hyper Police, where the differences are immediately obvious). So I think what you're attempting with Escaflowne is certainly worth discussing and thinking about.

I see a time ahead when the artist, or at least the immediate supervising artist, will be seen as more important than the character. "This sketch set was directed by Shouko Ikeda," vs. "This is a genga of Sesshomaru."

Thanks for all your hard work in researching and writing up these new acquisitions.

[theultimatebrucelee]

Excellent update as usual and with quite the quantity this time around

My two favors this time are the Reika genga and the Saber armor pan. Reika is my favor character from Rahxephon and good Reika sketches are always in high demand which usually ends up at unknown location, so I'm glad to see another join the online gallery. Saber pan on the other hand is pure awesome, with Saber being one of my top five favor female anime character of all time. The cel is really colorful and vibrant even though the scene is depicted otherwise.

just carious, what kind of scanner do you use to do your artwork such justice?

[Quacker]

Thankyou Sensei for the kind comments, corrections and additional information (I have added & amended the narratives as necessary).
Apologies for my late response; after four straight days of research & then confirming those details, ensuring everything is correct before uploading, I took a bit of a break from the inter-webs and get back into some 'real' life.
And Thank-you for the positive comments & feedback relating to taking a more factual approach, providing a greater emphasis on the Artist & Production team.
I was fortunate enough to acquire a new Escaflowne Blu-ray Collectors Box Set which was recently released in Japan, the difference between the Blu-ray to the DVD edition is absolutely staggering! Comparing the two side-by-side, it is like someone has flicked on a bright light in a very dark room; courtesy of Sunrise re-mastering and upgrading the Original stock film to the latest Hi-Def resolution; details once hidden & obscured in the DVD edition now come across brighter, sharper and more colourful - it is like re-discovering that 'magic' I first felt when watching Escaflowne the very first time around. It was during one such viewing session, with the sharper & clearer clarity, that the artistic variations (or as you wrote - "the feel") of the characters between each episode became more apparent and noticeable.
This twigged my initial curiosity and upon further investigation, it soon became fun (yes fun, as strange as it sounds) to find & discover "who did what" as well as learning and linking what other productions & positions they had previously worked on along with the future productions they would be on (such as the undeniable links shared between Escaflowne and Rahxephon which I never fully appreciated before).
I am currently re-watching Rahxephon again in an attempt to pinpoint which episode each of the new Genga's are from; once found I will post up the appropriate information.

just carious, what kind of scanner do you use to do your artwork such justice?

To be honest mate, the scanner I currently use is actually a model six/seven years old - nothing special but it does the job. What makes the difference is that I have access to a custom illustrator's program which provides a far greater swathe of options post-scan for image adjustment & enhancement. Thank-you for your positive comments too.

[sensei]

Interesting. My daughter reports a similar reaction to the new remastered Revolutionary Girl Utena, now available in this country (not on Blu-ray, though). This has been one of her central animes for years, and yet she was saying last night that watching the remastered version was like seeing it for the first time again.

After the rush to CGI I expect we'll see a re-evaluation of the classic cel-based series of the 90s. That's part nostalgia, part recognition that photographed cel animation has a brilliance and immediacy that one misses in the CGI technology,as many good things as that medium makes possible as restitution. I still recall the bit of disappointment when I moved from CCS to Chobits and Angelic Layer -- something ... just wasn't there any more.

(But I'm not leaving my Rozen Maiden sketches out for the trash anytime soon!)

[BuraddoRun]

Nice updates! And nice approach to adding animator info to your pieces! I do like your Rahxephon genga!

[Quacker]

Thank-you B-Run. Please, continue to watch this space as I expect to add a couple more Rahxephon items in the coming months.
With the recent success & popularity of the Yutaka Izubuchi helmed reboot of Space Battleship Yamato 2199, the collectors UB-Lee spoke of earlier are starting to quietly cash-in by releasing some jaw-dropping items from their Rahxephon collections.

[Quacker]

I am currently working on & putting the finishing touches to a Massive update with my usual favourites all being present in some form - Escaflowne, Fate, FMP, Nadesico & Rahxephon to name a few - along with a couple of completely new sections.

One New section is a Gallery devoted to "Fate Zero". I was able to acquire a selection of Gengas from Key moments within the Second Season's ending credits showing Irisviel & Kiritsugu together. So far managed to get eight separate Gengas, of which these are my favourites:

Irisviel:
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=366356

Irisviel & Kiritsugu together, sharing a moment:
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=366360

Irisviel with Kiritsugu holding baby Illyasviel
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=366361

Irisviel & Kiritsugu holding hands:
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=366363
(I have added & moved the tap holes closer to the picture as it appears this image has already been hyper-linked!?)

The amount of detail in each Genga is staggering; spent about 2hours overnight adjusting the scan-settings to ensure each scan brought up & showed as much of those details as possible. I am really happy with those results & hope you all enjoy as well; I am still on the hunt for more Production artwork, especially from the first season, so hopefully will be able to continue to add to that section.

New artwork will be uploaded shortly.

[Yupa]

I love your FSN and FMP rilezu cels!

I don't know how you got those Fate/Zero ED2 genga, but I have to warn you: those sketches have a high chance of being copies. I hope you already knew that and if not I hope you didn't pay too much for them. If you do have the original sketches I apologize for this post, but let me explain further.

Those sketches were part of the Fate/Zero Opening and Ending Key Animations Set, which was a limited release by Ufotable during Comiket 82 (summer 2012). I happen to have that set and I placed a few photos here a couple months ago. Scroll a bit down and you'll see a few sketches you have in your gallery (I have all 8 ).

If your sketches have registration holes, but are drawn on very thin white paper, I'm sorry to say that you probably have the copies from that limited release.

[sensei]

They are very pretty regardless of status. I'm especially fond of this complex pose and image. Incredible detail in the hair and clothing contours.

But Yupa's point is well taken: I also have some very high-quality repro sketches from Mushishi. One quick tip-off is that the registration or tap holes are black rather than cut-through. All my original Mushishi sketchwork have holes that you can stick something through, while the copies have black holes printed on uncut paper. (Looking at Yupa's images, I can't tell if the ones in the collection have copied holes or if they were cut through to make them look more authentic. If the latter, that would be a deceptive detail in itself, almost an invitation for the owner to try to sell them as originals.)

The acid test: If you magnify the sketch itself, photocopy, laser print, or ink-jet-print (giclee) will eventually resolve to "sand" -- a collection of tiny dots printed on the page. You need at least 8x magnification to see this on a really high-quality copy. Or scan at 400 or 600 dpi and then view on the screen at 100%.

Actual pencil-on-paper will look more like "skin" as the point of the pencil hits and misses the natural contour of the paper. Holding the paper under strong raking light (hold it nearly perpendicular to the light source) will also show the natural indentations made by the artist with the pencil point. Sometimes these also show on the flip (blank) side. Copies will be absolutely flat and usually uniformly shiny in places where there is artwork.

It can be very difficult to tell, if you are dealing with a copy made with a state-of-the-art printer. Even the seller I bought my Mushishi repros from wasn't sure that they were copies, but honestly flagged the issue. I knew from other sets sold what they were, and love them just the same. I hope, however, that you weren't actively misled, if they do turn out to be copies.

[Rekka Alexiel]

Wow! You have a lot of goodies from shows I've never seen! ^^; But I can still appreciate the artwork!

And gosh, you've got a bunch of gorgeous OP & ED cels from Esca! Those are amazing! Really love the one of Van's mother. Wish we could have seen more of her in the series.

[Quacker]

Yupa you have nothing to apologize for mate - you are just looking out for a fellow collector.

To be honest, I had originally thought the Fate Zero genga were from the limited Comicket release even though the Seller, through a Private Auction was alleging them to be 'Original'. But upon receiving the package, each Genga came in its own Timing/Cut bag & the paper on some were a little different - appearing thicker in some of the shots available on the 'web of the Comicket package. The tap holes also appear to be in slightly different positions too on most of them?

I am not foolish enough to think that these are the "Originals" - although that would be totally cool - but on the same token, they do appear slightly different to the Comicket edition which is why I decided not to post in my Gallery that they are either the 'Originals' nor the 'Comicket edition', I think I can get away calling them simply 'Genga'

Regardless of their Origins, like Sensei I think they are gorgeous pieces in their own right & in awe of the artistry involved.

Sorry Guyz, it is fast approaching 2am here in Aust. I will finish uploading tomorrow or later in the week - hopefully in one big hit rather than dribs & drabs.

[sensei]

Mmmmm ... am I reading that these came with timing sheets and cut bags? [Sensei nervously fingers his vintage 8x Agfa Lupe.]

[Yupa]

Wow, I did not expect that. Can you see whether the lines are drawn by pencil or photocopied? If so, it's the first time I hear about original Fate/Zero sketches being sold. No wait... I remember someone on this forum showing a few sketches before the show even began. How I wish there would be more material out there, it's definitely one of the best shows of recent years - in art, animation and storytelling. I'm glad I got at least a look at the production by buying the books that Ufotable sold on Comiket.

I agree with sensei that I'd love to see the timing sheets and cut bags. In return, if you're interested I could scan the storyboards of the second ED for you.